


Overture

by caughtintherain



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Character Study, I write about Cole and his /feelings/, idk what else to tag this with tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-01
Updated: 2016-08-01
Packaged: 2018-07-28 14:21:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7644346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caughtintherain/pseuds/caughtintherain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cole slowly tried to understand the other members of the Inner Circle. The Iron Bull. Vivienne. Sera. Solas. Cassandra. Varric. Dorian. Blackwall. Each of them so complex and so strong and so full of hurt that they could take care of and carry until suddenly they could not.</p>
<p>(a character study through the eyes of Cole)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Overture

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Seeing as Dragon Age: Inquisition has been out for like two years, I figured I should finally write something for the game I adore. And here it is! Before you start reading, I just wanna say that I made the Inquisitor's pronouns they/them. Hopefully that's not too hard to read for anyone! Also, I did take some liberties with dialogue, among other things, SO;
> 
> Disclaimer: all things dragon age-esque are owned by Bioware (those lovely bastards)
> 
> The title of this is inspired by the song 'Overture' by ATTLAS (so creative, I know)
> 
> I listened to this video for inspiration on Cole's views on the others: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0zNyv_WdH0
> 
> Now, enjoy! <3

When Cole first arrived at Skyhold, he had very carefully taken in his new surroundings. The amount of pain his mind encountered was scary, but made him feel even more needed. The leader of the Inquisition, the _Inquisitor_ now it seemed, was nice. They made Cole feel less like a spirit and more like a person in an odd way. It was mostly odd seeing as he had only spoken to the Inquisitor once, right before they had disappeared into the cold and dark night, seemingly dead. Then they had come back.

 

A lot of the pain Cole had felt with the Inquisitors death disappeared when they had reappeared. It was then that Cole decided the Inquisitor was nice, they seemed to want to help in the way Cole did.

 

But Skyhold… Compared to what Cole had seen and felt at Haven, Skyhold was magnified in every way. It was bigger, easier to get lost in, and the pain was thick in the air. But there was plenty of hope as well, and fear. There was a lot of everything and Cole felt overwhelmingly needed.

 

“This _thing_ is not a stray puppy you can make into a pet.” Cole glanced up, the Inquisitor was there speaking with the caring one, the clever one, and the… different one. Cole was uncertain how long he would be able to stay and help at Skyhold. But the different one spoke in his favor and this fact would help him help others.

 

Choosing to ignore the rest of the conversation, Cole wandered towards a woman at a campfire tending to the wounded. He spoke to himself as one soldier slowly found his death, an honorable one but a slow one.

 

“You’re feeling their pain?” Cole turned to the Inquisitor, a small frown pulling at his lips.

 

“It’s louder this close.” Here, the Inquisitor showed just how nice they were. They asked him questions, wanted to understand, to know, to help- ah, but they were wary as well. But the Inquisitor could understand so quickly, so easily. They knew, he was only trying to help and that was all. No one would remember him, so it would be okay.

 

Cole told them what he could about his life. He was a ghost once, maybe a ghost still, but one that made less mistakes, and hurt less people, and had less friends than before. He could feel more and help more and he understood more.

 

* * *

 

The Inquisitor offered him a place with the Inquisition, a place to help the hurting. And then the soldier needed mercy and then they let Cole help him. Cole stayed. Later, the Inquisitor would ask him if he could hear everyone’s mind. No, no he could only help those who needed him, he would say. The Inquisitor showed patience when he made mistakes, made him try again to help people. They would always watch quietly as Cole helped people and then made those people forget.

Cole slowly tried to understand the other members of the Inner Circle. The Iron Bull. Vivienne. Sera. Solas. Cassandra. Varric. Dorian. Blackwall. Each of them so complex and so strong and so full of hurt that they could take care of and carry until suddenly they could not.

 

* * *

 

Cole liked **The Iron Bull**. Quite a bit actually. At first The Iron Bull was… wary of him. He did not have a problem with Cole specifically, but demons were a fear that could not be easily erased. Cole learned of the Qun through The Iron Bull, well, he learned parts of it. He learned how The Iron Bull had a ‘tama’ and how The Iron Bull saw Cole’s abilities as ‘weird crap’ that should not be said out loud. The Iron Bull liked to help others too, and to protect his friends. He even protected Cole, taking hits that should been Cole’s, even though he hated demons. But Cole learned that he was The Iron Bull’s ‘weird squirrelly kid’, demon or not. The Iron Bull liked Cole and that was important.

 

**Vivienne** was difficult, but in a way Cole understood. She was power, tall and strong and elegant. But she was just as afraid of him as a child was afraid of the monsters under the bed and only ever referred to Cole as ‘demon’, ‘pet’, or ‘it’. The Harrowing had shown her things she did not want to have seen and gave her an outlook that had a strong disdain of him. It took Cole a long while to understand that Vivienne sided with Templars more often than not, and really, she did not need his help at all. But she cared, even though she saw caring as weak. Cole understood this and said not a word.

 

**Sera** was odd, but Cole was too but her liked her quite a  bit. She hated the way he would look so far into her eyes that it seemed as though he was looking _through_ them. She would make up new words and things in an attempt to shove Cole out of her head but Cole always came back. He always understood her even though Sera disliked him. Cole liked the way her ears always pointed to the fade and the way she could see where the arrow would land before it landed. At some point Sera had learned to tolerate him, and Cole would always remember the day she stopped calling him ‘weird’ or ‘it’ and finally started calling Cole ‘him’.

 

**Solas** knew everything it seemed. He lived in the Fade and out of it all at the same time. He understood Cole in ways no other person had. Solas knew how to calm Cole down and helped him differentiate what was real and what was not. Solas had once told him never to forget his purpose and to hold onto it, Cole would. For as long as could. Solas taught Cole of the gentler spirits, and Cole understood that Solas wanted him to live and to live and to live. Solas allowed Cole to help only sometimes, but only if he remembered the way Solas would remember. The two of them could carry on a conversation of riddles and mystery for as long as they pleased, confusing all others who could not follow. And really, Cole truly knew Solas much longer than anyone else in the Inquisition.

 

Cole knew there was to be no nonsense when it came to **Cassandra** , but he knew that if he ever lost himself, she would be there and she would help- she would kill him if need be. Lord Seeker Lambert was someone Cole had killed once upon a time and at first Cassandra had not believed that he should have done so. She still didn’t, not entirely. But she respected Cole. When Cole spoke she listened, she did not turn away, not always. She understood and listened and wanted to learn and understand and- help, in a way. When Cole started speaking from her mind, she would always always ask ‘What do you mean?’. No matter his answer she always responded with ‘We will help.’

 

In a way, **Varric** was the best teacher Cole had. He taught Cole how to be human, truly human. He taught Cole to try and speak with people who did not need him, to try and make them less scared of Cole. Once, Cole had asked how Varric made everyone so calm and he had explained with a cat metaphor. Show them you are not a threat and they would be in your lap purring. An odd way to explain it, but one Cole would remember. Varric explained clothes to him, saying “...if you can’t be flawless, and no one can, be flashy.” He told Cole not to talk to his stubbornly untied shoelaces, just tie them in knots. Cole would never understand jokes though. And Varric always, always called Cole ‘kid’. An affectionate term that made Cole feel like... himself. It was important to Cole and he hoped Varric knew this.

 

Cole learned that **Dorian** enjoyed asking questions; why Cole looked the way he did and asked if he could change his form, he questioned if he needed to eat or why he bled when he was injured. Cole decided that he wanted to ask Dorian many questions as well, which Dorian was okay with- sort of. Cole’s first question was about Dorian’s father, and Cole learned that maybe love wasn’t always enough for some people. Cole wasn’t sure if he could understand. Dorian thought hurting was who he was and Cole did not understand this either. In time, Cole learned to understand Dorian and they formed a friendship of sorts. Dorian still asked questions, Cole always answered.

 

**Blackwall** had so many masks, they amazed Cole in a way. Although the fact that Cole knew this seemed to make Blackwall uncomfortable in every way possible. He always tried to push him away to Varric and Solas, a tactic to remove himself from the situation. In time, Blackwall came to like Cole in a way but he was never able to get used to the things Cole said, which was fine. Cole didn’t mind. Blackwall had many tangles in his head, and Cole told him as much. Cole also told him he likely needed a hairbrush for all the tangles outside his head. Cole always knew Blackwall, much to Blackwall’s chagrin. But Cole knew that everyone hides dead things and Blackwall was Blackwall, he had killed Thom Rainer.

 

* * *

 

Cole was learning quite a bit with the Inquisition and it really helped that the Inquisitor was so nice.

 

* * *

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading fam (lub u) <3


End file.
